The Way
by notthemessiah
Summary: 10/Rose plus another pairing. Set after Blink, before Utopia etc. The Doctor still loves Rose after all this time, and when he discovers a way to get to Rose without destroying the universe, he jumps at the chance. But what will happen to Martha? For Liz.
1. Chapter 1

They ricocheted into the TARDIS, laughing and clutching each other, the Doctor still holding the sheaf of papers he had been given. Martha grabbed on to the rails of the walkway to stop herself collapsing with giggles as the Doctor barged straight into the coat stand, which toppled to the floor complete with a slightly bemused Time Lord on top.

When she had and the Doctor had both recovered themselves and the he was back in his favourite chair at the console, she picked up the stack of papers that the Doctor had been given that day.

"What d'you reckon these are for"

"Not a clue"

"Well they must be important, otherwise why would she have given them to us?"

"Oh look, I don't know yet do I? Could you just file them for us? Please? And when you get back I'll tell you a bit about Jupiter, we're going there for breakfast."

"Alright alright. God, I said I didn't want to be just a passenger, but I didn't realise that would mean doing all your dirty work!"

Martha tutted, shifted her grasp on her filing work and headed towards the cupboard in the rear of the TARDIS, that served as the Doctor's all-purpose storage area. She had been there before of course, usually to fetch him a new Sonic Screwdriver, and had a pretty good idea of how it was all laid out. One day, she promised herself, she would get round to sorting this thing out properly. She had been brought up on a strictly 'no baggage' routine, keeping only what was necessary, and it was time to inject some of this thinking into the Doctor.

Opening the door of the ridiculously large closet (there was another thing that was bigger on the inside) she flicked on the light switch and began to walk down the rows of shelves crammed with the most ordinary (a broken toaster) to the fantastical (pickled fairy wings). It still made her smile to see the things he had collected on his travels throughout time and space, and gave her a secret thrill to know that she was a part of this amazing life.

The Doctor smiled to himself. Life was good. The arrows had missed him, his beloved TARDIS was in perfect condition, his feet were comfortably up on the console, and he was about to have banana pancakes on Jupiter. Yes, nothing could throw him now.

"Doctor…"

"Hmm?" He twisted round to see Martha emerging from the back of the TARDIS.

"Doctor why on earth, or any other planet for that matter, are you keeping an old hair in a box?"

The colour drained from his face.


	2. Chapter 2

_Oh god._ That hair, how could he have forgotten it? That single, blonde strand, that stood for everything he loved about her. That hair that used to be a part of her head, that used to nestle in among all the others, that she used to brush her hands through so casually, not knowing how much he loved it. That hair, that reminded him so painfully of that night…

_They lay once more on the apple grass, it was night and the stars outshone even the lights of New New (New __New New New New New New New New New New New New) York. She was flat on her back, marvelling at the beauty of this world, he, the experienced traveller, was propped up on his elbows, marvelling at how beauty could be enhanced by just one person. 'This time', he thought to himself, 'nothing will go wrong. This time, it will be perfect. That's all I want really, just one perfect moment with her.' He couldn't possibly have known, though he may have expected, that this perfect moment together may be their last._

_A breeze played over the water, it was barely enough to ripple the water but the he sensed her shiver, and lay down flat so she could snuggle into him. This she did, it was habit now, and he wrapped an arm around her shoulder, letting his fingers lightly caress her arm. She continued to gaze up at the stars, their endless patterns and swirling shapes full of meanings she didn't know. But she was not going to ask, not tonight. He would begin to ramble, and tonight she was content with silence. Besides, she had all the time in the world to ask.__ But now she found she could keep quiet no longer. It was as if she too had some inkling of what was to come, and needed reassurance._

"_Doctor?"_

"_Yes?" He knew her too well now to play around._

"_Doctor there's something I want you to have"_

_He raised himself onto his elbows once more, and turned his ocean deep eyes towards her, sitting in silent expectation._

_She reached up to her head, and gently tugged out a single hair. It shimmered in the starlight, as if it possessed a life of its own. _

"_Doctor there's a tradition we have on earth. It says that if you wrap a strand of hair around someone's wedding finger, you will be theirs someday, and, no matter what, you'll always find a way to be together."_

_His eyes softened at her words, and the almost childlike innocence of them. That was what he liked about her. He had taken her to distant planets, shown her impossible things, and yet she still clung on to her memories of home, her earth rituals, superstitions and beliefs. And he loved that about her._

_He met her eyes once more, and saw the trust and longing that was in them. Silently, he gave her his left hand, his long delicate fingers extended towards her, and she wrapped the hair around it, tying it at the end. Linking her fingers with his she whispered to him_

"_Now make a wish"_

_The Doctor wished with all his heart, and knew that she beside him was thinking of the exact same thing. When he opened his eyes again, she was still staring into them, their hands still locked together. He smiled sadly at her, and they lay back down again. Suddenly she pointed at the sky, where something was racing across it._

"_Doctor…?"_

"_It's alright. We don't need to go anywhere. It's shooting stars, that's all. Nothing but perfectly harmless shooting stars."_

"_So now we get a double wish"_

"_If you like."_

_He was silent again, leaving her to her wishes and dreams. But he smiled as the stardust began to fall gently towards them, and his grin widened at her little 'Oh!' of surprise. He'd always loved nights like this, where the stars would soar and cover those below in their glowing trail. And of course, the stardust was said to possess certain qualities. Who knows, perhaps her Earth superstitions were more than just tales. 'Just in case', he thought, and he lifted his hands up high and cupped them together to catch the dust, wishing with all his might._

_When he was done, he released the small shower of stardust over her, enjoying the sight of the golden particles raining softly down onto her smiling face._

'_If this is it,' he thought to himself 'if I never get another chance to see her again… This is how I will always remember her.'_

The Doctor blinked rapidly, turning away from Martha so she would not see the look in his eyes. She was still standing there holding that single strand of perfection in one hand, looking at it as though it were something revolting, even something to be feared. That hair that had been wrapped around his finger for so long, but had been put into the box for safe-keeping after that day, when he realised that the very sight of it made him weep. That hair, that had still been on his finger when he cupped his hands and filled them with stardust…

Stardust. There was something about the stardust, some half remembered Galifreyan legend that echoed back to his childhood. Or was it an earth legend that echoed back to her's? Either way, there was something about the stardust, something significant, maybe, just maybe, there was an answer. A way.

He spun round on the chair to face Martha, it took all his control not to shout.

"Martha give me that hair now."

"Alright alright, keep your hair on!"

She crossed over to the console and handed it over, wiping her hands on her jeans after she had got rid of it.

"Now Martha this is very important," he said, in a pseudo-calm voice, "I need you to go to the library and get me three books- 'Mythical Tales of Galifrey', 'More Mythical Tales of Galifrey' and 'Interpreting and Harnessing the Powers of the Stars: Intermediate Level' and I want you to get them NOW."

"But what about-"

"Just go!" He could no longer contain his impatience; Martha threw up her hands and walked once more to the back of the TARDIS.

"I still don't see what's so special about a manky old hair anyway"

The Doctor jumped up from his chair and began to pace around the console, running one hand through his hair, all the while still clutching that precious strand of gold, winding it around his fingers and occasionally raising it to his lips.

Why hadn't he told her that night? It was the perfect opportunity, why hadn't he told her then? It would have been so easy to say it, and even easier to mean it. And why hadn't he told her on any of the other countless occasions that he had had? Instead of leaving it until the last minute. He was a Time-Lord, time wasn't supposed to run out for him.


End file.
